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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-9568 4415 Country Club Blvd BOA Staff RptMarch 18, 2021 ITEM NO. 2 Z-9568 1 File No.: Z-9568 Owners: Seth & Hailey Easley Applicant: Yeary Lindsey Architects Address: 4415 Country Club Blvd. Legal Description: Lot 9R, Block 4, Country Club Heights Addition Zoned: R-2 (Single-Family District) Present Use: Single-family Residence Proposed Use: Single-family Residence Variance(s) Requested: Request from the area provisions of Sec. 36-254 to allow a reduced side yard setback in an R-2 District. Justification: The applicant’s justification is presented as per the attached letter dated January 18, 2021. STAFF REPORT A. Planning and Development Civil Engineering: Per City code Sec. 30-43, no driveway shall be constructed within five (5) feet of a line drawn from the point of intersection of a property line with the right-of-way line of a street and perpendicular to the centerline of the street, except where property abuts an alley the minimum distance shall be ten (10) feet. B. Landscape and Buffers: In October 2020 the City adopted the “Heights Landscape Design Overlay District,” requiring installation of one tree per 40 linear feet of street frontage within the Heights District Boundary, applicable to [among other types] residential construction in excess of 600 square feet. C. Building Codes: The required fire separation distance (building to property line) prescribed by the building code terminates at five (5) feet. Buildings are allowed to be closer than five (5) feet if they have properly constructed fire walls which provide the requisite one (1) hour fire resistance rating. When buildings are five (5) feet or more from the property line, the requirement no longer applies to the wall itself, only the projections such as eaves or overhangs. Openings such as doors and windows are limited when the exterior wall is three (3) feet from the property line and are prohibited when the exterior wall is less than three (3) feet from the line. There is no restriction on openings when the exterior wall is more than three (3) feet from the property line. Contact the City of Little Rock Building Codes at (501)371-4832 for additional details. March 18, 2021 ITEM NO. 2 Z-9568 2 D. Staff Analysis: The R-2 zoned property located at 4415 Country Club Boulevard was previously occupied by a single-family residence. The overall property sets on the southeast corner of North Palm Street and Country Club Blvd. The original home has since been demolished and the property divided into two separate single-family lots. The subject property occupies the eastern half of this formerly larger parcel and fronts Country Club Blvd. An alley borders the eastern property line and the rear of the proposed home is adjacent to a single-family residence that faces N Palm Street. The west side of the property is adjacent to a new single-family home currently under construction. The applicant has indicated the proposed garage for the home will be located off the alley on the east side of the property. The applicant’s letter of intent additionally states that the narrow 10-foot-wide alley provides a challenge for vehicular access turning into the garage and proposes that the eastern wall of the house be placed deeper beyond the required 7.2-foot setback. This would allow for an approximate 12-foot turning radius to access into the garage and provide most of the house setback greater than 12 feet but in no case less than 9.7 feet. Pushing the structure to the west to accommodate vehicular circulation on the east side of the home has caused a portion of the residence to encroach into the setback. The attached sketch indicates most of the proposed residence western wall will be located 7.9 to 8.5 feet from the property line. However, a section of the residence approximately 26 feet in length will encroach into the 7.2-foot western setback. This 26-foot section of the façade is proposed to be constructed 3 to 3.2 feet from the west property line as indicated on the attached site plan. Section 36-254(d)(2) states “Side yard. There shall be a side yard set-back on each side of the building having a width of not less than ten (10) percent of the average width of the lot, not to exceed eight (8) feet.” The applicant requests a variance to allow an encroachment into the west side-yard setback. Based on the above analysis, Staff believes the proposal is in keeping with the character and scale of the neighborhood and views the variance request as reasonable. In most cases, the east and west side yard setbacks exceed the 7.2- foot code requirement. In addition, the adjacent property owner to the west at 4419 Country Club Blvd has provided a letter in support of a 3-foot side yard setback. E. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the requested side yard setbacks, per the submitted site plan dated January 14, 2021, with the following conditions: 1. Install trees in accordance with the Heights Landscape Design Overlay District. March 18, 2021 ITEM NO. 2 Z-9568 3 Board of Adjustment (March 18, 2021) The applicant was present. There were no persons present registered in opposition. The item was heard on the Regular Agenda. Staff presented the item and a recommendation of approval as outlined in the “Staff Recommendation” above. There was no further discussion. There was a motion to approve the application as recommended by staff. The motion was seconded. The vote was 5 ayes, O noes, and 0 absent.